Second Chance
by rocket-queen98
Summary: Set in S5 - Katherine turns up at the boarding house, wanting Damon to turn her again and he reluctantly agrees. What will happen between the two?
1. Old Friend

******Second Chance**

******Please read to understand**_****** —**__****__**Set in the beginning of S5. But i've changed a few things to make it easier for me. Katherine did turn human, but there is **_**____****nothing**_****__** stopping her from turning back to a vampire the usual way, that is what leads her back to Damon. Elena and Damon are not together, she decided that she wanted Stefan, which he's still upset about. Though Stefan wants nothing to do with her. **_

**__****Katherine has returned to the boarding house, she comes to Damon for help, much to Elena's dismay. He agrees to help her through her situation and allows her to stay at the boarding house. He has no idea what happened to her, he hasn't had contact with Elena for the whole summer.**

**__****I wrote this a few months ago, but i've never managed to post it. But even with the changes, I still hope that you like it, and please review. It encourages me to write more and I do appreciate them all.**

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___"True love is not real, unless it is returned."_

******- Katherine Pierce**

******x**

******BANG!**

******BANG!**

******BANG!**

**"********I'm coming! Stop fucking knoc-"**

Damon's angry rant was cut short when he ripped open his front door, coming face to face with a tired, beaten down, looking Katherine, well, what he assumed was Katherine. Her usual perfect curls were now tangled waves, and her mascara were smeared under her eyes, making her look like a panda of some sort. She was carrying her heels, and from what he could see, her feet were battered and bruised. She groaned tiredly, slumping into his arms, giving him no choice but to help her. He cursed and lifted her off of her feet, kicking the door shut behind him before he walked into the living room, looking down at her with a weird expression on his face. She whimpered in pain when his fingers accidentally pressed down on a bruise on her back she had gotten from falling after breaking her heel. He arched an eyebrow, he'd never heard her being in that much pain before, he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"Ow! Damon, you're hurting me."

"Sorry...what the hell has happened to you?"

He placed her onto the couch, not knowing why he was being so nice, and pulled up a chair, sitting in front of her. Her eyes opened and she swallowed, trying to find it inside of her to say something. Clearing her throat, Katherine pointed over at his mini bar, desperate for a drink.

"Alcohol...the best you've _got, please_?"

Eyes narrowing at the 'please', Damon just nodded before standing back up, walking over to his mini bar. He picked up a glass and poured in the usual amount, but when he looked back at her, at what a state she was in, he shrugged and poured more in until it was almost full. Then he turned back and made his way over to Katherine, who was now sitting up, handing her the glass. He still couldn't believe how much she had changed over a short period of time, he had no idea what could have happened to her. He guessed that she was kidnapped by someone she had done wrong in the past, he wouldn't be shocked by it, Katherine Pierce had pissed off a lot of people. Though a lot of people were scared of Katherine and wouldn't dare even look at her wrong, let alone attack her.

"What happened?"

Katherine downed it quickly, moaning at how it burned her throat before she replied,"T-Turns out, Elena isn't as innocent as you thought. She forced that damn cure down my throat."

His eyes widened, and at first, he just stared at her, not believing her. But then his eyes roamed over the cuts and bruises on her face, at how her hands shook, before he observed her closely. She sneered and shuffled away from him, before finishing her drink, handing the glass back to him and he took it. Their fingers brushed and he felt warmth soar through his veins and he cursed, startling her for a second. She was different, there was something off about her, and then he realised what had happened. He reached out and grasped her chin in his fingers, turning her head to the side, a look of astonishment on his face, causing Katherine to glare at him, not happy being looked at this way, like some sort of startled animal.

"You're human."

She rolled her eyes, pulling away from him,"You think? I haven't noticed. You're lucky that you're good looking because you haven't got much upstairs."

Unable to help himself, Damon gave her a faint smile before it dropped from his face, his mask returning. He couldn't believe it, Katherine was _human, _a weak, defenceless human, he'd never that he would ever see her like this. He knew that she hated it, she was the only vampire he knew that enjoyed being one, this was her nightmare. Unlike the vampires he knew, she had hated being a human, being a vampire meant everything to her, and he could see how vulnerable she was without it. She moaned painfully again, pouting when her eyes settled on her bruised feet, turning to Damon, with a sad look on her face.

"Damon, you've got to help me."

He tilted his head, smirk playing on his lips,"I do?"

"Yes! I need...I need you to turn me again. Please?"

Damon crossed his arms across his chest, leaning back against the seat, a smug smile on his mouth as he looked at her. She rolled her eyes and leaned forward, placing her hands on his arms, gazing at him pleadingly. His eyes fluttered slightly at her touch, he didn't see her give the same reaction, before he opened his eyes again. He could see tears in her eyes, and felt something inside his heart tug, something he didn't want to feel but it just wouldn't go away. Katherine's nails dug into his skin, but he didn't push her away, he couldn't find it inside of him to do so. Her voice dropped to a whisper, an almost sob leaving her as she tried to remain strong enough, refusing to break down in front of him. She had no control over her emotions anymore, she couldn't flip the switch to stop herself feeling this way.

"___Please_, Damon. This is torture, I don't want to be like this. I need _your_ help."

"Why me? Why would you come here? Why would you ask me?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor, asking herself the same question. She didn't even think about going anywhere else, the first thing she thought of was the boarding house, knowing that he would eventually let her in, knowing that Damon could never fully hate her. Katherine knew that he would also be safe, that he wouldn't harm her in any way just because she was human. Her hand tugged on his, thumb running over his daylight ring and he sighed, waiting for her answer, blue eyes showing some sort of vulnerability, allowing her to touch him. Her hands were trembling and that was when he realised that she was scared, she was terrified of living as a human, and before he thought about it, Damon's hand covered her own.

Brown met blue and Katherine answered him truthfully,"I trust you, that's why i'm here asking you to turn me again...because I _trust_ you, Damon."

He went quiet for a long while after that, his eyes settling on their joined hands before he nodded,"Fine, i'll do it. I'll turn you again."

She let out a breath of relief, the knots in her stomach leaving. She sent him an appreciative smile before falling back onto the couch, yawning tiredly. Damon kept a hold of her hand, fingers dancing on her palm, in a somewhat comforting manner. He remembered doing that whenever she fell asleep in his arms in 1864, on the rare occasions when she stayed with him. He suddenly felt himself missing those days, yearning for the man he used to be, the Damon who wasn't so damaged, the Damon who knew the real Katherine, not the one who had become so cold over the years. Soft snoring filled the room, and Damon decided to let her sleep, he would turn her into a vampire the next day, she looked like she needed rest.

He didn't know why he was acting like this, but it felt like seeing her in this state, brought out human Damon, the part of him he couldn't push out. That's when he realised that, even if he tried to despise her, tried to block her out, that he couldn't because she would always worm her way into the piece in his heart that she owned. She was underneath his skin, human or vampire. She was a part of him, weather he liked it or not, he couldn't turn her away, it felt wrong. He felt like he had some sort of duty to take care of her, knowing that nobody else would. He wondered if she would need to be taught self control, or that she would just turn back into the vampire she used to be. He was exited to see which one, the thought of teaching the person who taught him made him chuckle.

Damon jumped when his ringtone broke the comfortable silence and he rolled his eyes, free hand digging into his pocket. He took out his mobile and rolled his eyes when he saw Elena's name flashing on the screen. Damon just pressed the ignore button and turned off his mobile before tossing it onto the arm chair behind him. He then got onto his feet and bent down, scooping the sleeping ex-vampire into his arms before trailing over to the staircase.

He slowly climbed the steps, taking the time to look over Katherine again, noticing how vulnerable she looked, something she had always hated. He still couldn't believe that out of all the vampires she knew, including Stefan, that she trusted him to do this. His mind was still trying to process it, and that's when it hit him. For the first time ever, Katherine had chosen him, above everyone else she knew. He tried to convince himself that even if she did have a lot of people to turn to, that he would still be her first choice. She mumbled in her sleep, turning around in his arms, hair tickling his skin for a second.

He stopped outside one of the spare bedrooms, and instead of entering it, he turned to his own bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. She moved in his arms, making him come to a halt, staring down at her. Then, her fingers curled into his black shirt, nuzzling her face into his chest, and the bothered look on her face soon turned to a peaceful one. Once he was sure that she wouldn't wake up, Damon lay her down on the bed, using one arm to pull back the covers. Katherine moaned at the sudden change but soon let go of him, and that's when he covered her with the sheets. Then, he just stood there, watching her for what seemed like forever, wondering why he was doing this for her, why he was helping her.

Katherine turned around onto her side, an upset look on her face, as if she were having a nightmare. In her sleeping state, she reached out and grabbed Damon's hand, wanting something to hold on to, something that he didn't expect. Knowing what she wanted, he kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed next to her, pulling her into his embrace. Somehow feeling safe now, Katherine's expression turned back to a peaceful one and her head rested on his chest. Lips skimming across her forehead, Damon swallowed, brushing her hair out of her eyes, finger tips running over her bruise and then the answer to his question came to him.

He wasn't ready to let go of her.

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******Please review. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes.**


	2. Memory Lane

**A/N _Wow! Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites, I didn't expect so much on one chapter. Anyway here's the second chapter, I hope you like it. So please keep them all coming. __This chapter is mainly focused on Katherine, on how she is being forced to feel because she can't control herself anymore. __Sorry if you think she's a bit OCC, though I hope you still enjoy it. _**

**_Q__uick question. Would you like Katherine to stay human for a few chapters or for Damon to turn her again in chapter three? :)_**

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"_There is only so much hurt a man can take."_

**- Damon Salvatore**

**x**

"_**Damon, it's Elena. I haven't heard from you in a while, I don't know if you've been ignoring me, but please call me and tell me if you're all right."**_

Damon rolled his eyes and deleted the fifth message he'd received that morning, placing his mobile on top of the kitchen counter next to him and picked up his fork, eyes watching Katherine as she munched on her scrambled eggs that he had made her a few minutes earlier. The two had gotten up a few hours ago and while he went out for some food shopping, she had showered and changed into her newly washed clothes, wanting to be clean for when she turned again. She had found them neatly folded on the bed, shocked that Damon had washed them for her, because she had no idea how to even cook for herself let alone use a washing machine. Ever since she had become a vampire, Katherine had always compelled people to do things for her, that's what she loved about being a vampire. He couldn't deny, a part of him liked her being human, he had secretly enjoyed taking care of her.

Seeing Katherine sitting in his kitchen, eating eggs was something that he'd never thought he'd ever see, not even in his dreams. Katherine had started to rely on him and he had started to like the role. He found himself wondering what she would do once he turned her again, if she would stay around or just leave him again. A part of him hoped that she would need some help with feedings and controlling herself instead of just turning back into the vampire she used to be. That was when he realised that he would miss human Katherine, that he had taken a liking to her. She was much nicer and warmer than the other Katherine he was familiar with. Damon started to eat his food, all while eyeing Katherine as she sipped on her orange juice. He tilted his head, mentally asking himself if she was like this when she was human, before life had turned her cold, just like it had done to him.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts,"It was _never_ paradise."

"Why are you ignoring her?"

Damon's eyes met hers and he shrugged, a dark look clouding his eyes,"I've got my hands full with one doppelgänger, don't want another to deal with."

He changed the subject by collecting their now cleared plates, stepping off the stool before placing the dishes in the sink. Katherine noticed what he was trying to do and she slipped off the stool, walking over to him. She jumped up onto the counter and looked down at him, watching as he cleaned the dishes. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was still upset about something, but was trying to block it out, a trademark Damon Salvatore move. It was a move that she herself had taught him, never to let his true emotions show and always be on guard. Over the years, he had become closed off and put so much walls up, she couldn't see the real Damon any-more. Katherine hung her head, all that was because of her, it was her fault that he felt like he was never enough. She cursed in her head, being human had made her emotions hit her like a ton of bricks, emotions she had thought that were long gone. It was as if all the feelings she had turned off were forcing themselves back into her.

She asked as softly as she could,"What happened?"

"She wanted Stefan. Same old, same old...nothing new."

Katherine's expression turned to one of sadness when she saw the hurt look on Damon's face. If she was a vampire and feeling this way, she would immediately get rid of it, that's something she also liked about being in control of how she felt. But as a human, she was forced to deal with things, she couldn't flip the switch because there was none, there was no way of hiding her feelings for Damon. Suddenly, she wanted to hug him and tell him that he deserved so much better, that he was worth something. Katherine felt her stomach drop when his blue eyes became watered over, but thanks to being a vampire, he instantly got rid of it and pretended that he didn't feel a thing. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him and shuffled closer to the elder Salvatore.

"Damon..."

He chuckled darkly, trying to brush it off with humour,"You'd think i'd be used to it by now, right? It's like some sort of damn curse. They never want the older, _hotter_, brother."

"I wanted you. _We_ weren't a lie, Damon."

Suddenly, his expression turned to one of anger, as if he were unleashing all of his deepest darkest thoughts,"As something to keep you entertained...i wasn't enough for you, I was _boring_."

Katherine swallowed the lump in her throat, all of sudden feeling some sort of pain that she couldn't shut off. She had told him that he was boring, but it was a lie, most of what she said to hurt him was a lie. Her eyes narrowed and she didn't know how to act in that moment because for so long, Katherine hadn't felt a thing because she didn't have to. Now that she had no choice, the pain she had put Damon through made her feel bad. She reached out with a shaky hand and tugged on Damon's arm, pulling him close to her. It was more difficult now because of her lowered strength but he obeyed her, now standing in between her legs.

Her hands cupped his face in her hands, and all she could see was the Damon she met all those years before, the one who told her he first loved her in Italian because he was too shy to tell her it in English. She let out a breath, her eyes closing for a second before she opened her mouth, preparing herself to say something that she swore she would never say.

"If I don't say it now, i'm never going to. So...i'm sorry, Damon."

His eyes flashed and soon they weren't dark any-more, they had settled back to the bright blue that Katherine secretly loved to stare into. A few seconds passed and he nodded, silently telling her that he had accepted her apology, all while having no idea what to say. He'd never thought that he'd ever hear those words come from her. They sounded sincere, and also a bit hesitant, as if she had never said them before. Her fingers were warm on his face, her touch caused butterflies to explode in his stomach, something he'd never felt around any other woman. Katherine's fingers ran through his raven hair before they massaged his temples, as if she wanted to take the bad thoughts out of his mind. Suddenly something popped into her mind, and she lifted her head, speaking softly.

"What did I used to call you? Before you to fell asleep?"

He somewhat silently looked up at her, eyes now wide and blue, reminding her of the time when he first gazed at her, and he purred out,"Mon prince sombre...i was your dark prince."

Her forehead fell against his, and soon she began to notice that he wasn't so tense any-more. Damon let out a contented sigh, and frowned when he realized that it wasn't long before she would be asking him to turn her. He felt some sort of loss because he liked this Katherine, she was just like he one he remembered, that was why he had been so hurt and heartbroken when she had suddenly turned against him when she came back. Katherine's long fingers trailed down his cheek before she whispered against his skin. She didn't know why she was acting this way, it was as if turning human had made her into the person she used to be when she was human, when she was sweet and caring towards other people. In 1864, whenever she was with Damon, he would pull that Katherine out of her, and she would allow it, turning on her humanity for a short while.

He made her _care_, he made her _feel_.

Thinking of the nickname she had given him, Katherine brushed a lock of raven hair out of his eyes and, in a matter of seconds, he was the Damon she used to know. He's hands settled on her hips and pulled her closer, the sound of her voice lulling him into a calm state. Katherine's lips skimmed across his cheek and she let her fingers drift across his jawline, eyes opening again. She had given him that nickname after taking him along on one of her hunts, it was the look in his eyes that had gotten her attention. They were so captivated at what she had done. Even when he was human, Damon held some sort of dark side that he never allowed anyone to see.

"_But what if I lose myself in the darkness? What if it consumes me?"_

"_I won't let it, Damon. I'll be there to stop you."_

He even hid it from himself, he had denied it but from the second she first saw him, Katherine had felt the darkness that was inside him. She knew that he wanted more in life, he wanted to be destined for something greater. Damon wanted adventure, he wanted to see everything that the world had to offer, and Katherine wanted to show him. She wanted to give him the gift of being a vampire, she considered it a gift because she had never experienced anything greater. Being a vampire was everything to her, she could not live without it.

She had been the one to coax it out of him, and teach him to embrace it, how to control it and made him see that it was nothing to be ashamed of. Though at the same time, he was still innocent, his eyes were still bright and it wasn't until when she first came back to Mystic Falls that she had noticed that he had allowed the darkness to take over him, that he had lost the light. The darkness had him trapped to the point that he wasn't sure if he was in control any-more. Katherine knew that she was responsible for that, she knew that he had become lost in the darkness when she left him all those years ago. But she had refused to own up to it, she couldn't handle it, couldn't handle his love because she knew that she didn't deserve it. So she hurt him, she broke him apart, ripped his heart out and flipped the switch again.

But Katherine had realized that she couldn't let him go.

"Damon?"

He raised his head and stared at her,"Yeah?"

"It's time. I want you to turn me."

Damon's heart fell into his stomach and he shook his head wildly, hoping that she would realise that he didn't want to let go yet. Katherine narrowed her eyes and arched an eyebrow, trying to see why he was so against it all of a sudden. His eyes turned dark and his fingers dug into her skin, hurting her a little. Their stare broke when they heard a loud gasp echo throughout the kitchen, breaking their comfortable embrace. Damon's head snapped around to see a shocked Elena, who was looking between them, her eyes wide and full of anger and disappointment. Damon turned around, letting Katherine go, standing in front of her as if he were her protector. Katherine scowled at Elena for breaking their moment, she could see that Damon was tense again, and that was when she noticed that Elena was the cause of Damon being so wound up. The younger vampire walked slowly towards them, as if she couldn't believe that Katherine was there, as if she was hurt that Damon was giving her his attention.

"Damon? What the hell is going on?"

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**Please review! Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. **


	3. True Colours

**A/N _Again, thanks for all your reviews, I really appreciate them. Please keep them coming. Here is the third chapter, I hope that you like it._**

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"_You have everything, and it's not because you're a good little girl wh__o deserves happiness, it's because you stole mine."_

**- Katherine Pierce to Elena Gilbert**

**x**

"**...Damon, I asked you a question! What is **_**she**_** doing here?"**

Elena took a threatening step forward, eyes set on the ex vampire who was still perched on the kitchen counter, glaring right back at her. Damon also moved forward, blue eyes hardening darkly, but Elena didn't seem to notice, she was too busy eyeing Katherine as if she were something evil. Damon, still standing in front of Katherine, was now pissed off at the way Elena was speaking. He didn't know why the younger vampire seemed to think she had the right to storm into _his_ house and judge how _he_ was living his life. In his mind, Elena gave up that right when she chose his brother over him. Katherine being in the boarding house was not up to her, it was mostly her fault that the ex vampire was there anyway, she had been the one to force the cure down her throat. When Elena shouted the question for the third time, Damon sighed and growled at her before he spoke as calm as he could.

"I don't think it's got anything to do with you, this is my house, I choose who stays here or not. What are you doing here?

Elena's mouth opened and closed, as if she was shocked at the tone in Damon's voice,"I was worried about you, Damon. You haven't been answering my calls. Why are you letting her stay here? She tried to kill me."

Katherine chuckled at how the raised pitch in her voice before she hopped off the counter and grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the cupboard. She took out two glasses and poured some in before passing Damon one, who just nodded in thanks. Ignoring the dirty look Elena sent her, Katherine sat on one of the stools, hoping that someone would break the awkward silence. Damon sat next to her, silently wishing that Elena would take the hint and leave, no-one wanted her there in that moment. He needed to talk to Katherine about turning her, he wanted her to stay human, at least for a little while longer, he wanted to keep her for as long as he could.

He knew that she would want to turn back into a vampire soon as fast as possible, because in her mind, she was getting older, even though she was in her late teens in human years. He inwardly chuckled at how self conscious she was as a human because he'd never seen her that way before. Katherine was normally confident and now she was the complete opposite. He knew that she was scared, she thought that since she wasn't a vampire, that she was nothing. He thought that if he could help her find herself as a human, that maybe she would be different when he turned her again. Damon wanted to prove her wrong, he wanted her to see what he saw.

"So? I can't hang out with people who try to kill you? If that happened, i'd be without drinking company," He downed his drink,"You forced her to take the cure...i say that you're both even."

"Damon...why are you acting this way? What has she done to you?"

She trailed over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to coax him out of the bad mood that he was in. Katherine looked at the floor, all of a sudden feeling sick at the picture of her doppelgänger touching what, in her mind, belonged to her. Damon glanced at the hand, normally this move would work, but now it just seemed to annoy him.

He slapped the hand away,"She hasn't done anything to me, Elena. Just because i'm not all flowers and smiles when you're around, doesn't mean she's done some voodoo crap on me!"

Elena moved back, as if Damon had hurt her, and she looked at him, tears filling her big brown eyes. Katherine rolled her eyes and reached behind her, grabbing the bottle of Bourbon off of the counter before she re-filled their glasses, preparing herself for Elena's angry rant. But before Katherine could take her first sip, she was suddenly pulled off her chair and pinned to the fridge across from them, lifted off of the floor by an angry Elena. Red eyes and fangs were all she could see, and Katherine gasped loudly, feeling the air being sucked from her lungs. Elena smirked to herself, and she slammed Katherine harder against the fridge, lifting her higher into the air. Her eyes widened in and she moaned in pain, hands flying around, trying to push Elena off of her but it didn't work. Her feet kicked at the air helplessly, and she croaked out Damon's name.

"Get off of her!"

Then, out of nowhere, she found herself on the floor. Katherine inhaled sharply, her vision blurry for a few moments before two, strong arms helped her up. She coughed, her hands cupping Damon's face as if touching him was instantly going to make her feel better. Tears glassed over her eyes, finding it hard to breathe once she realised how weak she was. Katherine sniffed, ashamed because she couldn't even defend herself any-more. She hated it, if this had happened a year ago, Katherine would have ripped off Elena's head by now. He whispered comforting words her, trying to make her feel better as Elena, who was now sprawled on the floor, watched. Damon had thrown her across the room, something she'd never thought that he would ever do. It was as if he couldn't stand seeing Katherine in pain, and Elena felt her heart drop in her stomach.

Holding Katherine to him, his head snapped towards Elena,"What the hell is _wrong_ with you? You could've killed her!"

"Damon, you can't possible be standing up for her! Have you forgotten what she has done to you? To us?"

"I'm not standing up for her and believe me, I haven't forgotten. But i'm not going to sit and watch while you kill her. Y'know Elena, maybe you should take a good look at yourself before you insult her, you're no angel yourself. None of us are."

Damon ignored Elena's hurt gasp before he moved Katherine to the front room, settling her onto the couch before walking back into the kitchen. He found Elena leaning against the counter, a painful look on her face, her back sore after Damon had thrown her aside, his age and stronger strength had made it hurt more.

She looked up at the elder Salvatore when she saw him enter the room, sure that with Katherine gone, she would be able to get through to him. He didn't acknowledge her presence and instead he picked up the bottle of Bourbon and poured a full glass for Katherine, knowing that she was going to need it. Elena turned around and trailed over to Damon, putting her hand on his one that was holding the glass.

"Is this because of what happened? Are you going to lash out at me ever-"

Unable to control his anger any-more, Damon spun around to face Elena, taking her hand off of his by backing away,"Really? Not everything I do is about you, Elena. It may shock you to hear it, but the world doesn't revolve around you. I don't want you here, Katherine certainly doesn't want you here, so please just leave before you mess things up again."

"Dam-"

He cut her off and made his way over to the door,"I'm not telling you again, Elena, you've got a choice. Either leave willingly or i'll throw you out."

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**That Night**

"Are you sure that she didn't leave a bruise?"

Damon glanced up from his book long enough to see Katherine trailing into his room, wearing the pyjamas he had bought her from the shopping trip he had taken her on after the whole Elena incident. It had cheered her up, and truthfully, he didn't hate it, money was no object for a vampire. She had bought more than enough clothes, and since he was feeling generous, Damon had even offered to carry the bags to the car. Afterwards, they had went out for lunch, and for the first time in years, Damon had enjoyed her company. Katherine sat on the bed next to him, eyeing the book he was reading as she waited for an answer. He let the book drop to his lap and looked at her neck, brushing her long hair from her neck. She had asked him three times in the last few hours, complaining that she wished that she could heal as quick as she used to.

"For the last time, Kat, there is no bruise. The mark is gone, I promise."

Katherine nodded and got comfy, head resting on his shoulder, smiling to herself when Damon didn't say anything, just continued to read. She let her eyes drift over the page he was reading, not really interested but it was better than being stuck in a bedroom by herself. A few hours earlier, he had helped her put her new clothes away when they got back and instead of cooking something that night, Damon had ordered Chinese food, something she hadn't eaten in a long time. She wondered why he was being so nice to her, but didn't question it, she really didn't want to wreck what they had built the past few days. She was still processing what had happened earlier that day, she couldn't believe that he had defended her with Elena, even after he had told her that he loved Elena and despised her. Katherine remembered feeling like she had been staked in that moment, but as always she shrugged it off, pretending not to feel.

"Thank you."

Damon looked down at her, the comfortable silence broken,"For what?"

"For saving my life...again."

He was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded and went back to reading. She knew that it meant something to him by the way he let his fingers tangle with hers a minute later. They lay like that for the next half hour, the only sound being Katherine's breathing and whenever Damon turned the page. As the minutes went by Katherine's mind began to spin, wondering what their life could have been like if she had told him the truth when she came back, or if she had really been in the tomb, but shook them out of her head, silently telling herself that Damon would never let her back in, that he would never trust her again. She interlocked their fingers, eyes beginning to become heavy, but she fought sleep, wanting to keep their moment.

"Kat?"

She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, and sleepily replied,"Uh-huh?"

Damon chuckled softly before closing his book after folding the page corner. He tossed it onto the floor beside his bed and turned onto his side, facing Katherine now, who was still in the middle of fighting sleep. He didn't pull his hand away but did tighten his hold. She glanced up at him before yawning tiredly, rolling her eyes when Damon laughed at her again, pouting childishly. He just shook his head, letting his mask drop for a second, and Katherine swore that she saw the Damon she used to know. She waited, wondering what he wanted to say, hoping that he didn't want her to leave. The night before had been one of the best nights sleep she'd had for a long while, for once she wasn't sleeping next to someone she was using for one of her plans.

"C-Can you stay like this for a little longer? Please?"

Katherine narrowed her eyes, and it took her a while to figure out what he meant. He wanted her to stay human and she didn't know how to react. That was why he looked so panicked before Elena had interrupted them earlier that day. She looked at him and he seemed shy, as if he had just revealed a secret. Katherine decided to give him what he wanted, she knew that he deserved something in return for helping her, but she didn't know why he wanted it. She had thought that he had wanted her gone as fast as possible, but for some reason, he had taking a liking to the human version of her. She didn't see any sort of problem, he didn't say that he wanted her to be that way for the rest of her life, just for a short time.

"Okay...just for a few days."

Damon sent her a small smile before his eyes closed. Katherine, unsure of what else to do, let go of his hand and started to move off of the bed. But before her feet hit the ground, something gripped her wrist, and when she looked back, she saw that Damon's fingers were keeping a hold of her. His eyes were still closed, but his touch was strong and inviting, as if he didn't want her to leave. Katherine chewed on her lip, happiness bubbling in her stomach when she realised that he did want her near him, that he didn't really hate her as much as she thought. He tugged her back onto the bed beside him, and she followed, peeling back the covers before she lay under them.

She felt the bed dip, and before she could ask him what was happening, Damon was back. He crawled under the covers, the room now dark and she was met with the smooth skin of his bare chest. He pulled her close to him, chin resting on top of her head. Fingers trailed up and down her arm, making her skin tingle and then his arm snaked around her, keeping her close to his chest. Lips brushed across her chin, making their way to her ear, and Katherine shivered.

Then he whispered into her ear,"Thank you."

Katherine smiled against him, eyes fluttering closed when his other fingers ran through her long hair, tucking strands behind her ear, calming her down. It wasn't long before the touch lulled her to into a deep sleep and soon Damon followed.

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**Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. Please review! **


	4. All For Her

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews, please keep them coming._**

* * *

"_This was all to be with Katherine..."_

**- Damon Salvatore**

**x**

**The Next Morning**

Damon moaned tiredly as his eyes fluttered open but he quickly closed them again when they came into contact with the glaring sun that was shining through his parted, heavy curtains. He yawned and flipped onto his side, arm reaching out to pull the warm body of Katherine against him, but he swiped at thin air. He frowned, cracked one eye open and they settled on the bare pillow next to him. He sat up and looked around him, finding that he was alone in the bed. Slumping back against the pillows, Damon narrowed his eyes, not sure if he had dreamed the night before. The thought quickly left his head when the scent of her shampoo hit his nose. He narrowed his eyes, wondering where she had went, then suddenly, a fearful feeling gripped him. His mind began to spin, thinking that Elena had come back for revenge.

"Kat?...Katherine?"

Before he could jump off the bed, he heard the sound of bare feet trailing towards the bedroom. His thoughts calmed once he saw Katherine enter the room, two mugs in her hands as she made her way over to the bed. She sent him a soft smile and climbed onto the bed beside him, handing him one of the steaming hot mugs. Sitting up against the headboard, Damon accepted the mug with a smile, eyeing Katherine as she began to sip at the beverage. Reaching beside him, Damon picked up the remote switched on the TV to the news and the two sat in comfortable silence, watching the screen lazily. Bored of the news, Katherine reached over and grabbed the remote, turning the channel to one that was playing re-runs of old shows. Sighing, she tucked her legs underneath her and got comfy. Damon turned and looked at her, as if he didn't recognise her.

"Since when did you watch crap like this?"

Katherine arched an eyebrow,"Since a few days ago. There's nothing else to do when you're out...i get bored.. Makes the day more bearable. I can't go out...got a lot of people who want to kill me, y'know."

He knew that she was right, people wanted to get their hands on her to make her pay for what she'd done to them. Glancing at Katherine, he swallowed when he saw the bored expression on her face, but her eyes told a different story. They were sort of lifeless, as if she had given up. He knew that she had said yes to staying human to make him happy because she was feeling guilty for what she had done to him. Even though he got what he wanted, Damon wanted her to experience human life, to see that there were good parts, not just suffering. Damon chewed on his bottom lip, his thoughts beginning to take over him again. He finished his tea and got off the bed, leaving Katherine to watch her shows. He walked over to his wardrobe, took out his clothes for the day before entering the bathroom. He changed into his clothes, brushed his teeth and washed his face, catching his eye in the mirror.

Then a smile crawled onto his face as an idea popped into his head, instantly putting him in a good mood. Sauntering out of the bathroom, Damon found Katherine toying with her hair, huffing when she realised that one of her nails were chipped. He shook his head, refusing to let her stew in self pity before he stood at the end of the bed, clapping his hands loudly, making her jump. Chuckling, Damon took the remote out of her hands and switched off the TV. She whined and tried to take it back, but he threw it onto the other side of the bed.

"Hey! I was watching that!"

Damon swooped down and picked her up, placing Katherine on her feet,"Nope, not on my watch. You're going to get dressed in some of the _expensive_ clothes you made me buy yesterday and we're gonna go out."

"Where?"

He just shrugged,"I don't know...but i'll know when we get there. Now, go and get dressed. I'll be downstairs."

Katherine just nodded and left the room, for once doing what he told her. Damon, while trying to think of where to take the ex vampire to cheer her up, trailed downstairs and sat on the couch as he waited for her. He needed to make her see how good human life could be, which was something he knew that Katherine didn't have. The only human life she had was running and being neglected, which was the same Damon had. He also had to help her find herself again, it seemed like she was sort of lost, like she didn't know who she really was and Damon was going to make it his mission to help her. He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of heels making their way down the staircase.

"How do I look?"

He snapped his head around, eyes widening when they roamed up and down the body of Katherine. Her neat curls bounced with each step she took, and her eyes sparkled when they landed on Damon. It was as if the clothes she wore made her feel more confident, like it was some sort of mask. Putting on her leather jacket, Katherine looked up at him, as if she wanted his opinion. Her arms lifted and she spun around, her black leather-like leggings and vest clinging to her in a way that made his mind wander. He tilted his head, and Katherine watched him, feeling a little self-conscious, something she'd been feeling ever since she'd turned. It was confusing, as if being a vampire had taken away her insecurity. Damon moved over to her, shrugging on his own leather jacket, silently telling himself that they somewhat matched.

"Damon?"

As though he were compelled, his fingers came up and they ran through her hair, making her stomach flutter slightly. Her gaze dropped to the ground, teeth sinking into her bottom lip shyly. For a few seconds, Damon's eyes darkened, a part of him wanting something more. She recognised that look, he used to wear that expression whenever he saw her enter a room all those years ago. Katherine realised that she missed that look, it held so much emotion, and she prayed that he'd never looked at Elena that way. But, as soon as the look came it was gone, and he backed away a step, clearing his throat. Before he could even think about going anywhere further with her, he had to make her see the good in the world, but at the same time find out if she was there willingly or just for his help.

"There's the Katherine Pierce I know. Now...c'mon, let's go."

"Will you at least tell me where we're going?!

He stopped and tapped her nose with his finger,"For the last time..i don't know. That's apart of the fun, Kitty Kat."

Damon twirled her around in a small circle before tugging her towards the door, picking up his car keys on the way. She rolled her eyes and followed him out the front door, wondering where he was taking her but at the same time she was exited not knowing. His eyes lit up when she smiled after Damon held the passenger door open for her. Getting into his side, Damon put the keys in the ignition before pulling out of the drive way. As they pulled onto the street, Katherine leaned forward and fiddled with the radio until she was satisfied with a station. He sped down the road, eyeing her as she began to mumble along with the song that was on, and for the first time in a long while, he could see her eyes brighten up. He secretly grinned, feeling a sense of pride when he realised that he was the cause of that.

"Kat?"

She took her eyes off her newly painted nails long enough to reply,"Yeah?"

"You can't sing."

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**That Night**

"Yes! I win...v-vampire or _not_, Damon, I-I kick your ass at alcohol."

Damon shook his head,"Ah, ah, ah, Kitty Kat. Who won the first three rounds?!"

Ignoring him, Katherine raised her arms up in a victory way, spinning around in a small circle, but almost stumbled over her heels that she'd taken off a few hours earlier. Damon quickly reached down and caught her before she fell to the floor, helping her back up on her unsteady feet. She clutched at the wooden bar, waiting for Damon to order another round of shots. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, telling the bartender to not bring over any more, which he did with a nod. Katherine narrowed her eyes, and her lower lip jutted out when she bartender refused to serve her. She turned around to Damon, who was picking up his jacket.

"Wh-Why won't he serve me, Damon?"

Damon reached down and picked up her shoes, grabbing her jacket as he replied,"Because I told him not to. You're gonna have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, Kat."

With his free hand, he began to lead her out of the door, brushing off the people they were playing with, including a few men he didn't like the look of. Katherine protested, grabbing onto the half empty bottle that they were drinking out of but he passed it to a random. She swiped at Damon as he pulled her out of the bar they'd been at. He took her to Virginia, the first place he thought of so that they could get a break, and also to succeed in his mission. He'd taken her out to dinner, and they even went dancing, which he found that she was quite good at once he'd gotten her to loosen up. It even cheered him up because the last time he saw her dance, it was with his brother in 1864, and that was hell for him to watch. But now, it was like he had some sort of second chance with her. The two had landed of at a bar he'd been at a few years back, and one drink had turned into a full blown drinking game.

"Damon! We're not finished yet."

He sighed and opened the passenger side door, helping her in, tossing her stuff into the back seat,"You are for tonight, Kat...you'll thank me in the morning."

She stuck her tongue out at him as he shut the door, making him laugh. He couldn't deny, drunk human Katherine was one of his best versions of her. She was free and more open, Damon reminded himself to get her like that again. He got into his seat and pulled out onto the road, finding that he liked driving in the dark, it was more soothing. He chuckled when he remembered that when they left, it was day. About twenty minutes later, Katherine moaned from beside him which was a sign that the alcohol was taking it's toll. She fell to the side, her head hitting his shoulder, and Damon wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side.

He felt her hum tiredly, cheek rubbing against his arm before light snoring filled the car. He kissed her forehead and got comfy, estimating that if he sped up, they'd be back at the boarding house by midnight, which was an hour away. He knew from the way she was acting that she'd had a good day and hoped that it had changed her view on being human. He didn't want her to live out her days as one, he'd easily turn her back if she asked him, but what he wanted to achieve was for Katherine to stop hurting. Her actions, her words and the mask she wore was to try and stop the pain she had suffered as a human, that was the root of her problems, just like his were. Even after all the pain she had caused him, he still wanted to help her, make her see that there was still good in the world, and that proved that she still held something over him.

She used to be everything to him. Katherine was the reason he turned, he had their whole eternity planned out. A part of him was still in love with her, that part of him always would be. After 145 years of loving someone, Damon knew that it would never go away. That's why he could never kill her, that's why he knew, deep down, that he would give his life for her if he had to. She gave him the gift of being a vampire, though sometimes it seemed like a curse because something was missing. She was the missing piece of his puzzle, the few days she'd been with him had felt like some sort of heaven. Mostly because it was what he had pictured before he turned, what he thought they had. She was the Katherine he remembered, which proved that she'd turned on her humanity for a while all those years ago. He wanted the real Katherine, the one he remembered, the one he knew she really was, vampire or human. Though Damon knew that he loved her..._each_ part of her. He knew that he still loved her when he was with Elena, he knew that he hadn't stopped.

"Are we home yet?"

Damon broke out of his thoughts when Katherine's sleepy voice brought him back to earth and he nodded, pulling up into the boarding house drive way. He was shocked that the time had passed so quickly. Taking the keys out of the ignition, Damon got out of the car and walked around to Katherine's side. He opened the door and, after finding out that she wouldn't be able to walk, he gathered her in his arms. She moaned and shuffled closer to him, arms locking around his neck. He nudged the car door shut and made his way into the boarding house and up the stairs.

"My head hurts."

Damon sighed,"I told you that you'd regret it."

"No-one likes a know it all, Damon. Not even from the prettiest of faces, I should know."

He chuckled and entered his bedroom, placing her onto the bed gently. He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket before switching off the bedroom light. Katherine smiled softly, the light was making her headache worse. He got undressed and crawled onto the bed beside her, making a mental note to tell her that she'd left her shoes and jacket in the car before she complained in the morning. Helping her underneath the covers, Damon pulled the ex vampire into his arms and brushed her hair away from her face as she moaned painfully.

"Never again...never ever..._ever.._."

Damon tucked her hair behind her ear,"I told you so."

Katherine kicked his leg before snuggling into his side, his touch making her feel a little better. He embraced her tightly, his eyes getting heavy once she was in his arms, safe and sound. Her fingers began to toy with his daylight ring, head resting on his chest, remembering the sound of his heartbeat. Katherine glanced up at him, hitting his chest for attention, making his eyes open wide. He looked down at her, wondering what she wanted and Katherine cleared her throat.

She whispered,"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

Katherine brushed his hair from his eyes and buried her face in the crook of his neck, almost making his eyes flutter. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, thumb caressing the soft skin that she'd often dreamed of. His hand raised and grabbed hers, holding her hands against his chest as his blue eyes lit up in the moonlight. Sleep began to take over her, but she fought, needing to say what she planned to, he needed to hear it.

"Thank you for today, i'll never forget it."

He kissed her knuckles,"You're welcome."

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**Please review. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes.**


	5. I Know You

_**A/N **____**Thanks for all the reviews, I really do appreciate each one of them. Please do keep them coming and I hope that you like chapter five.**_

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_"__Damon's ____**not**____ stable when it comes to her__."_

**- Elena Gilbert about Damon and Katherine**

**x**

**Three Days Later**

**Thursday – 11am**

"**Damon? I'm hungry!"**

The vampire raised his head as Katherine came strolling into the front room, rubbing her tired eyes as she slumped down onto the couch beside him. She let out a bored sigh, and leaned against him, her head resting on her shoulder as she waited for him to answer her. Ever since she had turned human, Katherine had been eating more, she never really enjoyed human food when she was a vampire. Sure, she ate it, but blood fit her appetite more. She had come to enjoy Damon's cooking, and remembered when he used to make her meals back in 1864. He's always been a great cook, and Katherine had enjoyed whenever he let her help, though he was a bit bossy in the kitchen.

He switched off the TV and looked down at her,"I'm not your personal cook, Kat."

"A man should cook for a lady, it's what a _gentleman_ does. Also, I can't cook and would you really want me in your kitchen?"

Damon's eyes widened at the thought, she could barely make sauce let alone anything else. Sighing, he nodded before standing up, holding out his hand to her which she gladly took. She had also been sleeping later, and even though he had helped her set up her new room, sure that she would be there a while, she'd been sleeping next to him since the first night she'd been back in the boarding house. He never said anything about it, and hadn't looked like he'd even acknowledged it, so she just decided to let it be. They would end up watching a movie in his room and fall asleep, or she'd come to his bed during the night when she couldn't get to sleep. Katherine hadn't remembered when last she had slept that well, and with Damon, she guessed it was because she felt safe.

He was the only person she thought of whenever the word 'safe' came to mind. People thought that he was the bad one, and that was his true nature, but unlike Stefan, he was the one that everyone turned to whenever they were in problems or needed something to protect them. He thought on his feet, and usually, even though people died, that was the best outcome. Stefan would try and save everyone, whereas Damon would save the people he loved, whatever the consequence.

"Ok, what do ya want?"

Katherine chewed on her lip as she thought, hopping onto the counter next to him,"I want pancakes."

"Easy...you got a deal. It's good that you don't cook, you don't ask for anything fancy."

The ex vampire grinned at him and started to pick at the grapes that were in the fruit bowl next to her while she waited. The two sat in comfortable silence as Damon made her food, and soon the sweet smell of pancakes hit her nose. Katherine licked her bottom lip hungrily, she then realized how much she had missed food. It hadn't meant much to her when she was a vampire, not like blood, and in her opinion, you could never find a better cook than the elder Salvatore. She watched him, noticing how he narrowed his eyes in concentration, like making the pancakes was a mission. She smiled softly, he was really trying to make her human experience as good as he could, from food to day outings.

He lifted his dark head,"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing."

He shrugged and went back to the pancakes, wondering why she was in such a better mood than she had been in a past few days. He hoped that his mission was working, he knew that she would want to turn back eventually but Damon wanted to replace her bad human memories to good ones. He also knew that Elena hadn't made it any better with her attack on the ex vampire and he was still pissed off about that. He hadn't heard from Elena, and truthfully, he was relieved because he didn't know how he would be able to handle her being around at the moment. The past three years, he had blamed Katherine for being the selfish one, for being the one who had ruined him, but now he was sure that Elena was worse than her.

Yes, Katherine had put him through a lot of pain, she had broken his heart, he would never forget that. But compared to Elena, the things she did seemed so small. Elena had hurt him way more than Katherine had, she pretended to be innocent and she pretended to not know how much damage she caused, whereas Katherine had owned what she did. Elena expected Damon to forgive her for every thing she did, she expected him to drop everything and worship the ground she worked on. She tried to change him, she wanted him to forget what he was and turn into something that she could use. He had seen the way she had reacted to Stefan and Rebekah, he had heard the way she responded when Stefan said he didn't love her anymore. It was as if she was shocked that he hadn't lashed out because of her, as if she was upset that he wasn't pining over her.

That wasn't love.

Love was accepting a person for who they were, it was loving each part of them, flaws and all. It wasn't trying to change them into something that they weren't, it wasn't making them feel ashamed for who they were. With Elena, he always felt not good enough for her, like he had been shocked that she had given him the time of day, he felt like he was being someone he wasn't. She wanted him to always be here, that wasn't love, that was Elena being lonely and selfish. That wasn't real love, he knew that now. Damon looked out at the corner of his eye, watching as Katherine toyed with her nails, loving Katherine was hard. But at the same time, loving her came easy to him, though she didn't make it easy, but love wasn't. He hadn't loved anyone the way he had loved her, and truthfully, he probably never would, his love for her had been real. She wasn't perfect, though neither was he, but Damon knew for 145 years that she was perfect for him. Though, he knew deep down that she still was, no matter how much he tried to let go.

He cleared his throat and looked down, realising that the pancakes were ready,"Get a plate, Kat, breakfast is served."

"Good...it's about time."

She moaned hungrily and jumped down from the counter, taking a plate out of the cupboard. He turned around and with the spatula, he placed the two pancakes on her plate, smiling softly when she inhaled the scent. Katherine picked up the syrup and smeared it on, along with some butter, and then she picked up her fork and dug in. He sat across from her after making a cup of tea. She looked up at him, running her tongue along her lower lip, lapping up some syrup that missed her mouth, rolling her eyes when he laughed at her. As she finished off her food, Damon found himself wondering what it would have been like if she had been in the tomb, what their life would have been like. If she would have stuck around or if they would have been happy.

He remembered being so relieved entering the tomb after spending all those years thinking that she was in there, starving to death. Then he also remembered how heartbroken, torn apart he had been when he left the tomb. It had felt as if someone had reached down his throat, pulled out his heart and stomped all over it. But, even after that, he had still held some hope, even thinking that Katherine was sending him messages, like he had after killing Alaric for the first time, he had thought that she had sent Isobel to him. It had almost killed him when Anna told him that Katherine didn't care, he had actually wanted to die because without her, life didn't seem worth living.

Katherine glanced up at him, noticing his furrowed brow of concentration,"What you thinking so hard about?"

"...how much money you're costing me."

She stared at him for a moment,"Liar."

Damon narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest before he leaned back in his chair, a challenging look on his face. Katherine copied him, sending him the same look before he leaned forward. Her dark eyes pinned his to hers, keeping his gaze. She inwardly smiled, he had clearly forgotten how well she knew him. She could tell whenever he was upset, angry or sad. Even if he hid behind his mask, Katherine always knew the truth, it didn't matter if she didn't see him for a thousand years, she always sensed what he was feeling. No matter who he was with, Katherine knew Damon Salvatore better than he knew himself. He had forgotten that, and it hurt her a little, but she left it alone.

"How do you figure?"

She replied,"Because you paused. You never pause. What's wrong?"

His blue eyes dropped from hers, and they landed on his cup. Tension suddenly filled the room, and Katherine wondered what he was thinking about. He'd always been a deep thinker, she would always remember the look he wore as he was swept away in his thoughts. He raised his dark head, and all she saw was blue, like an ocean. The barrier he had kept up for the years she had been back in his life dropped. Then, Katherine saw the innocence return back into his blue orbs, the innocence that he had tried to show her that was gone. He'd shown her that he was still _her_ sweet Damon, everything he had done for her since she'd been human again reminded her of the Damon she used to know.

For a long while, he just sat there in silence, as if he were having a mental fight with himself. She swallowed, slowly reached out with her hand, and she covered his larger hand with her smaller one. Damon jumped at her touch, as if his thoughts had gathered all of his attention, and he met her eyes. The happy, casual atmosphere was gone. All of his pent up sadness and feelings were going to explode soon, she could tell. She knew all the pain she had put him through, she hadn't felt it when she was a vampire, but now, it hit like her like a heavy weight. She had spent nights awake next to him, just staring at the elder Salvatore, wishing that she could go back in time and redo everything all over again.

Her thumb ran over the tops of his knuckles and she whispered,"I know you hate me for everything, and you have every right to. I'm _**sorry**_, Damon. I'm sorry that I left you, i'm sorry that I wasn't in the tomb, i'm sorry that I hurt you and i'm sorry that I lied to you. I know that it doesn't change anything for you, but I really am."

He tried to tug his hand out of hers, not wanting to hear it, but she held on with all the strength she could muster. Her long nails dug into his skin, but he couldn't feel it. His guards were down, he was vulnerable and she was sure that he wanted to cover it up. She had hit something inside of him, something that he had hoped that was long gone, she was hitting close to home. Every time he had let his guard down, someone had hurt him, and Katherine knew that she was the cause of that. Finally, he won, and he let go of her before jumping up. He turned his back to her and began to walk away but Katherine wouldn't let him. She got off of the stool and stepped in front of him.

He looked down at her, sighing,"What do you want?"

"I'm _sorry_. There is nothing else that I can do. But I want you to know that."

"Fine, i accept it. Okay? You don't have to say it any more."

He walked around her and started to move away, but she knew that he had just said it to keep her quiet. Katherine watched him walk into the front room and she just stood there. She didn't know what else to do, she knew that there was no way of him forgiving her any time soon, she didn't expect him to. But she wanted them to have some sort of forgiveness, she was drowning in guilt. He thought that she didn't care about him at all, that he was just some pawn in her sick game, but that wasn't true. Damon thought that she only came to him for shelter, and Katherine felt horrible. She made her way to the door frame and she leaned against it. He was sitting on the couch he was only an hour ago, now nursing a full glass of Bourbon, drowning his sorrows again.

She trailed over to him and slumped onto the couch, taking the glass out of his hand. She set it onto the coffee table in front of them before she forced him to turn around and face her. Damon was reluctant but obeyed her. She was getting to him and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He had been able to put off his feelings for her to help her out but now she was the one bringing it up. Things were going good between them, he didn't know why she was doing this to him, but he listened to her.

"I know you better than you think. I remember everything that you told me, Damon, I did keep an eye on you too."

He turned to her,"I don't want to talk about this. Can't we just watch another mo-"

"Your birthday is on June 28th. Your favorite colour is green because that was the colour of your mother's eyes, she used to sing to you in Italian to help you sleep. When you were younger, Stefan was scared of the dark, so you used to sing him the songs your mother sang to you to help him sleep. You first told me you loved me on March 7th 1864, after our first kiss, because that was the moment that made it real for you."

Damon inhaled sharply,"Kat, I-"

"I know you better than you know yourself. I know what your scared of, I know what makes you happy." Katherine grasped onto his hand, and she toyed with his ring,"I was selfish with you, I know that. I turned you because I didn't want to lose you, even though I left you. I didn't want you to die of old age or on some battlefield because you were destined for so much more..._greatness_."

Damon blinked, shocked to see so much emotion spill out of her, and he pulled his hand out of hers. He clenched his fist, and swallowed thickly, which showed how much power she still held over him, even as a human. Taking it as another sign of Damon cutting her off, Katherine nodded and stood up. She turned around and backed away, deciding that it would be easier if she stayed in her own room that night. She didn't know why she had told him all that, but she felt a little better that he knew, so that he could see that she had listened to him all those years ago, that she did care about him. These days she had spent with him was the best days of her life, she didn't know that life with Damon was so...**easy**.

She slowly stepped up the stairs and yawned, all the emotions that had left her had made her tired. She ran her fingers through her long hair, and tied it up in a loose pony tail with the band that was on her wrist. Katherine hoped that she hadn't wrecked things between them, but she knew that it was going that it was going to come out eventually, she was sure that he had bit his tongue enough. Entering her room, Katherine instantly missed the warmness of Damon's room, hers seemed bare whereas Damon's made her feel invited and wanted. Katherine checked the clock on her night-stand, an hour and a half had passed. It was now the afternoon, but she was already tired.

Stepping into her bathroom, Katherine looked at herself in the mirror, and she could see the tears in her eyes. She could see the guilt that she was carrying with her, it made her feel terrible about what she had done to him. She didn't care about anything else she had done, but somehow Damon was special. She never regretted turning him, he was the one thing that Katherine hadn't regretted, Damon was the one that she had connected with most. Wiping her tears away, Katherine quickly washed her face, immediately feeling more fresh afterwards. She left the small bathroom and cleared her throat, trying to control her emotions. She bumped into something hard, and when she looked up, her brown eyes met blue.

"Damon. What ar-"

He raised a hand, cutting her off,"Your birthday is on June 5th. Your favorite colour is blue, or in your own words _'baby blue'_, because it reminds you of my eyes. You fall asleep holding my hand because it makes you feel safe, even when you think I don't notice. You first told me that you loved me on 8th July 1864, when you thought I was asleep. You said it in Bulgarian, and I had to go look it up the next morning because I had no idea what it meant. Then I spent the next three months learning how to speak the language, all for you."

She felt him cup her cheek in his hand, and his forehead fell against hers. Damon's eyes fell shut, and his fingers caressed her cheek, before they toyed with her hair. He reached behind her and pulled out the band, and her long hair fell around them, tumbling down her shoulders and back. His eyes opened, and they gazed at her, and then he swooped down and claimed her lips with his own.

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**Please review. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. **


	6. Getting It Right

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate each and every one. I hope that you like the new chapter, and please review. __Like i've said before, if you are an Elena fan, this isn't your story. So please don't sen__d__ me hate if you don't like the way they speak about her, i've told you before. But I still hope that some of you like it._**

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"_...I just want Katherine."_

**- Damon Salvatore about Katherine Pierce**

**X**

Katherine cried out in shock, her body frozen in it's spot as her mind tried to process what was going on. She hadn't been expecting him to kiss her, truthfully, she'd been expecting Damon to tell her that he didn't believe a word she said, that he wanted her to leave. Not that she was complaining, Damon Salvatore kissed her like he wanted to consume her, like he wanted to remove any memory she had of any other man. He moaned against her mouth, the familiar feeling of her soft lips against his own making him shiver excitedly.

He hadn't touched or kissed her in so long that he had almost forgotten how good she felt and tasted. Her lips parted when his tongue swept across her lower one before slithering into her mouth, searching for it's partner. They fought for dominance, Katherine demanding control, even though she was weaker than him. He had also forgotten how much she affected him, how crazy she drove him. He clutched her desperately to him, as if she were going to disappear in thin air. She pressed herself against him, mentally cursing herself for letting him slip through her fingers.

"_Katherine..."_

Damon whispered her name again when they pulled away for breath, eyes gazing into hers, and the bright blue orbs trailed to her lips again before he leaned down and captured them once more. She hummed as his large hands moved down her body, kissing her fiercely, and she found that the rest of the world seemed to fall away. It reminded her of when they used to sneak out at night to watch the stars, it made her forget about her problems, and also helped Damon escape his demanding father, just for a while. Her hands flattened on his chest, fingers curling around the collar of his dress shirt, tugging him close to her. His hands settled on her hips, finger tips stroking her skin under her shirt. He started to walk her backwards and she let out a shocked gasp when her back hit the bedroom door, it closing as he pinned her to the wood.

She caught his eyes, wondering how, all of a sudden, he was kissing her. Katherine didn't want this to happen in the moment, she didn't want him to regret it afterwards. If he did, she wasn't sure if she could take it, she couldn't turn the pain off, not anymore. She had done that when he had told her that he despised her and loved Elena. The pain had been horrible, because for so long, she'd pushed the thought of him loving someone apart from her away.

"Damon,"She mumbled between kisses,"Do you really want this? Because..._mmm_...i'm no-"

He reluctantly broke the kiss for a moment, his forehead resting against hers, and she could see in his eyes that he was sure. The guards were down, they weren't cloudy anymore, they were bright, just like they used to be. He smiled, a real, smile at her and she returned it.

Damon purred to her,"Can't you tell how much I want you?"

"Damon...you know what i'm talking about."

He nodded, silently telling her he knew what she meant,"It's going to take a while to trust you...but you can't help who you love, Kat," She smiled at that,"Also, I spent three months learning _Bulgarian_, it would suck if that went to waste."

His hand cupped her cheek, long fingers brushing through the dark strands as she laughed before he kissed her again. She inhaled sharply after he ripped his mouth from hers, and he groaned desperately when he trailed his lips across her cheek, his free hand moving to her lower back, and she arched into him. Her head tipped back, falling against the wood with a low thump, her hands clutching his shoulders when his lips planted butterflies kisses near the sensitive spot underneath her ear.

She panted for breath, still getting used to needing to breathe after being a vampire for so long. She cried out as he picked her up, arms wrapping around his neck as he led her over to her large bed. She gripped his hair between her long fingers when they stumbled onto the bed, Damon crawling on top of her like an animal approaching it's pray.

He looked at her hungrily, pulling her down underneath him roughly, smirking when she cried out,"I've got Katherine Pierce at my mercy? Never thought i'd see the day."

She arched an eyebrow, and he chuckled when her eyes flashed. She couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face, but the tone he used didn't leave her. She yanked at his hair, causing him to hiss pleasurably, and she crushed their lips together, kissing him hard and fast. Then she turned him onto his back, moving against him suggestively, and Damon let out a low moan, one that told her that even though she was human, that she could still make him whimper and plead like she did when he had been the human one. Her hips rolled into his, giving him a taste of what he had been missing for 145 years. Damon's fingers dug into her hips, almost bruising her skin and she laughed to herself.

"...i win."

Damon opened his eyes, which were now a stormy blue,"Having a beating heart doesn't stop you, does it?"

She shook her head, sending him a challenging smile before she leaned down and mashed their lips together again, fingers tugging at his dress shirt. Buttons bounced on the floor beside the bed because of the force, and Damon grinned, shaking his head, pretending to be at his torn shirt. He sat up, the rest of the material fall on the bed and wrenched her close to him.

"You're going to start owing me shirts if you keep doing that."

She licked her lower lip at the sight of his chest,"Maybe you should _stop_ wearing them."

Damon growled and pushed her down, head tilting as he looked at her closely. She grinned down at him, body pressing tight against his. Unlike Elena or any other girl he'd been with, she felt right in his arms, something he hadn't felt since she was there so long ago. Her touch made his skin tingle, her lips made him shiver and her scent made him want to get on his knees and worship the ground she walked on. Balancing his weight, Damon attacked her neck, eyes rolling to the back of his head when he felt her pulse beneath his tongue.

Katherine's heart hammered against her ribcage, panting heavily as he kissed along her collarbone then back to her pulse point.

Her voice broke into his thoughts,"Go on...you want to."

"What?"

"If you want it, Damon, take it."

It reminded him of what she had said in 1864 when they had been running through the forest, and he asked for her blood. Her words made his fangs come forward, and with her willing consent, Damon, as gentle as he could, pierced her skin with her fangs. His eyes fell shut as he drank, moaning when her blood hit his tongue and poured down his throat. Katherine gasped in pain when his fangs broke her skin but as soon as he started to take her blood, pain turned to pleasure. Her body felt hot, and desire bubbled in her stomach, as his hands pinned her wrists to either side of her head, cadging her in. He took a few gulps, knowing what his limit was, and when he retracted his fangs, he buried his head in her neck, kissing the wound.

"How do I taste as a human?"

He raised his head and stared down at her, eyes fluttering when her thumbs wiped the drips of blood from his chin. He opened his mouth and swiped at her fingers with his tongue.

"Hmmm..._delicious_."

Katherine grinned,"I'm Katherine Pierce, Damon. You wouldn't expect anything less..."

He chuckled at how sure she sounded, but agreed with her,"Nope, I really didn't."

She accepted the kiss he planted on her mouth, all while his fingers worked on her clothes.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

Katherine tightened the silk robe around herself as she stepped down the stairs,"Damon?"

"In here!"

The vampire in question turned his head as Katherine came walking into the kitchen, running her long fingers through her hair before she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She rolled her dark orbs when Damon let his eyes trail over her, his gaze focused on her long legs that weren't covered because of the silk black nightgown she was wearing. It reminded him of the one Katherine wore when she tried to seduce him a few years back and he had rejected her, that had been difficult, she was a master at seduction. He smiled brightly at her as she moaned when the sun hit her eyes, before she hopped onto the counter across from where Damon was cooking. She crossed her legs and watched as he made her breakfast, smiling softly at how normal the two seemed. If an outsider happened to see them, they would never guess that one of the two was a vampire, and that she was an ex vampire.

"You are the definition of lazy, Kat."

She replied,"I'm also the definition of beauty, Damon. We've been through this, you don't want me to cook in your kitchen, do you? I'm a lady, I shouldn't cook."

"I don't think a lady lives here."

She chuckled and shook her head, throwing a strawberry at his back, but at the last second he turned around and caught it, popping it into his mouth. He winked at her before he spun around back to his task, a plate in his hand as he served up her breakfast, which she loved to come downstairs to every morning. Since she'd become human, Katherine's favourite breakfast had been scrambled eggs, he didn't know why but it was easy to make so he didn't complain. Katherine was always fascinated as she watched him cook, it made him smile. She wondered where he got it from, he would make her meals when he was human, but was positive his father never taught him. She made a mental note to ask him later. Sneaking a glance at her, he noticed how balanced she'd become since the whole cure incident, she was more open and wasn't as closed off as she used to be.

But he did love Katherine when she was vampire, and he loved her now, Damon loved all sides to her. He'd spent the past few years denying it, hoping to make it go away, but he couldn't. He'd never change her, he loved her the way she was, because he knew that the human Katherine was also a part of vampire Katherine, she just hid it more. He was sure that his mission was working out, all he wanted to do was change her view on human life, her **own** human life so that she wouldn't be so unhappy with her memories as a vampire. Humans didn't matter to him, but Katherine's human experience did, it meant a lot.

That's what he wanted. To give her human memories that she would saviour...with him. Just like he did with her from all those years ago, their first kiss, their first love confessions.

Putting on his best posh impression, Damon said,"There you go, your highness."

"I've been called worse."

Katherine looked hungrily at the plate he placed in front of her, along with a smaller one that had toast on it, with some butter and a knife next to it. Katherine picked up her fork and stabbed some of the food but before it reached her mouth, two fingers grasped her chin and tilted her head up. Before she could ask him what he was doing, Damon kissed her passionately, making her forget about the plate in front of her. His fingers combed through her hair, moving the thick strands to the side, before they brushed the still visible bite marks on her neck. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and he stroked the bites somewhat affectionately. Katherine returned the kiss, their tongues dancing in a lazy dance, different to the needy ones they shared a few nights before and since then.

He broke the kiss a few moments later, pecking her quickly again before he stood back up. He licked his lower lip, causing her to arch an eyebrow.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked.

"Strawberry...yum."

Katherine sent him a smile before she dug into her food, munching on it delightfully. He sat next to her and started to eat his own breakfast, which was pancakes, his cup of blood in front of him, the blood had belonged to a beautiful soccer mum he met at the Grill, at the perfect temperature. The two sat in comfortable silence, but it was suddenly shattered when the front door was slammed shut, causing Damon's relaxed expression to drop and one of annoyance to replace it. Katherine's head raised as the sound of feet came towards the kitchen, and so did Damon's. He could tell who it was by the way they had shut the door with force.

Katherine glanced up at him,"Who is it?"

"...someone who doesn't know how to knock."

He sighed irritably when the familiar scent of Elena hit his nose, confirming his thoughts, and he took a large sip of his blood. Katherine knew who it was by the way his body tensed up, and her own stomach knotted when the thought of Elena attacking her again popped into her mind. Damon saw this and he motioned for her to finish her food, he wouldn't allow Elena to even glance at the woman next to him, let alone touch her again. She nodded and went back to her scrambled eggs, looking forward to the moment that Elena would go away.

"Damon, you here?"

He cringed at her voice but didn't answer, he just continued to drink his blood until she entered the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed when she saw them sitting side by side, eating their breakfast. Elena's gaze landed on Katherine, taking in the silk night gown she was wearing, eyes lingering on the bite-mark on her neck and then her stare moved to Damon, who was only in his pyjama bottoms. She looked as if the sight of them together made her feel sick and she shook her head.

"What is Katherine still doing here?"

Damon sent her a bitter smile,"Elena, what an _unpleasant_ surprise."

"Why is she still here, Damon?"

"She's living here, you're not. You've got no say on who lives with me."

Elena took a step back, as if his harsh words had physically slapped her across the face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Damon cut her off.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you had seen Stefan...he hasn't been answering my calls."

He laughed, hearing the shock in her voice. Yes, he did know where his brother was, he had gone away for a few weeks to visit a friend. He had mostly left because he had to get away from Elena, since she had chosen him, Stefan wanted nothing to do with her. Stefan couldn't stand the sight of her, let alone listen to her ramble on. Damon thought that it would be good for him to get away and clear his head, he did need it. He had asked Damon to keep his whereabouts to himself, and his brother agreed, Elena had no right to know where Stefan was. He frowned at the idea of Elena thinking that there was something wrong with the brothers if they didn't answer he calls on the first ring, or if she didn't see them everyday, it angered him.

"Do you know he is?"

"Yeah, he called last night."

Elena nodded, expecting him to tell her where Stefan was,"Well, where is he?"

"None of your business. If he wanted you to know, Elena, he would have told you. So, if you don't mind, we're busy, shut the door on your way out, please."

He waved her off, his blood as Katherine sat in silence, hoping that Elena would leave. The longer she stayed, the more annoyed Damon was because of her intruding presence. Katherine took a sip of her water, wondering if he had ever felt that way about her, sure they bantered, but that was what she and Damon did. They enjoyed getting a reaction out of one another, it was a way of showing that they at least still cared about the other person. Elena just stood there, like she was expecting him to turn around and apologize for his words, but he didn't, he just glared at her.

When she stood there for a few minutes, Damon spoke up with a sarcastic tone, one that made Elena flinch,"Have you forgotten where the door is? It's that big wooden thing that you never knock, you just barge your way in."

"I have a _right_ to know where he is, Damon."

Damon's eyes flashed,"No, you don't. You're not his girlfriend, Elena, you're not his mother. You're nothing to him. He's content where he is, and so am i. I told you the last time you were here, you can leave or I can help you on your way."

Elena stayed in her spot, as if she were frozen when Damon turned his back on her. When Elena realized that he wasn't going to speak or look at her again, she backed away and walked down the hallway before she left the boarding house, huffing like a petulant child on her way. He saw Katherine's bothered look fall from her face when the front door was closed shut, and she finished off her food.

"Never met anyone more rude than her, and that's saying something."

His dark move lifted when she stole one of his pancakes that he had made for himself, and put it on her own plate. He slapped her hand gently and tried to take it back, but Katherine blocked him. She smothered the pancake in syrup along butter then added a piece of strawberry on top. She cut a piece off then stabbed it onto her fork before she spun around on her stool. He beamed down at her, amused by what she was doing, forgetting about Elena's intrusion instantly.

"Taste this.."

Her soothing tone made the tension leave his body, and he slowly calmed down, doing what she asked of him. Katherine touched the fork to Damon's lips and he opened his mouth, accepting the food. He moaned in approval, watching as Katherine ate a piece too. She dropped the fork onto her plate when she felt herself being pulled towards the elder Salvatore brother. He hauled her body close to his own, almost pulling her into his lap. His hands moved up her bare legs, taking the silk night gown with him, her skin making his mouth water. He leaned down, lips near her ear, hot breath making her shiver.

"Wanna try out _my_ bed this time, Kat?"

* * *

**P****lease review. ****Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. **


	7. Making Memories

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews, please keep them coming, I appreciate each one. __I wasn't sure about this chapter, it was really hard to word it right, but I still hope that you like it. __In this chapter, Katherine battles with having a life._**

* * *

"_I never had a graduation, or a prom, or, you know, a life. But you did.__"_

**- Katherine Pierce to Elena Gilbert.**

**x**

**One Week Later **

"**I don't want to. Last time we went out, I had a headache that almost killed me, Damon."**

Damon rolled his eyes as he looked over himself in the mirror, fixing the collar of his shirt before he turned around and faced the ex vampire who was laying on his bed, curled up as she watched the TV. Though, the past few weeks, it had become 'their' bed, more or less. She barely went into the spare room he had let her use, the only time she went in there was to change her clothes or do her curls, which took hours. The thought left Damon's head when he watched her move her focus back to the plasma. He sighed, narrowing his eyes as he tried to think of a reason as to why she was so down. He was sure that taking her out to their favorite bar would cheer her up, but as he left to get ready, she just crawled back into the bed.

Putting on his best mocking smirk, he tried to get a smile,"Don't be so dramatic...you'd only come back."

He got nothing, not even a glare, which really worried him. His mind began to work, and he considered that maybe she was finished with her human experience, and it made him frown. He had been positive that she had been enjoying it, he'd never seen her smile so much when she was a vampire, and she'd been doing that a lot more recently. If she was this unhappy with being human, it meant that he had failed. Shame took over him, and Damon hung his head. He didn't know what had happened, she had been happy then, all of a sudden, she just wouldn't leave the bedroom. This wasn't like her, and it concerned him the more he thought about it.

"Katherine?"

She didn't answer him, just continued to stare at the TV.

He kicked off his shoes and walked over to the bed, glancing at the TV, which was playing an old sitcom channel. He crawled onto the mattress, and stopped behind her. Damon's arm locked around her, pulling her back against his chest. Katherine's eyes fluttered and she let out a contented breath, her hand covering his own. Damon nuzzled her neck, pressing a kiss on her collarbone. The two lay in silence, the only sound being the television in the background, as Damon kept on peppering kisses along her skin. Her long fingers toyed with his daylight ring, keeping his hand held against her heart.

"Kat, what's wrong?"

He turned her around, fingers hooking underneath her chin, ordering her to meet his gaze. She just shook her head and looked away,"Nothing. Just tired."

"You're lying. Tell me, if you don't, I can't fix it."

She shook her head,"There's nothing to fix."

Katherine swallowed and her head fell onto his shoulder when he tightened his hold on her, silently pleading with her to tell him what was bothering her. She was tired, that part was true, she'd barely slept the past few nights. Her mind had been racing and her body was exhausted. It seemed as if being human was making her feel things in stages. First it was guilt, then eventually it was accepting her love for Damon, which had always been there but took time admitting it. But this was completely different, she was feeling empty, as if there was something missing inside of her. She'd been lying awake at night, trying to find what was wrong with her. Then, the fight she had with Elena before she forced the cure down her throat, came to Katherine's mind.

It had been the root of her problem with Elena, of why she was so envious of the girl. Unlike Elena, she never went to college, she hadn't had a first date and even though she'd been a vampire for 500 years, she never really lived, it was spent constantly moving around, never being settled or feeling safe. She didn't know what life was. Her life, even as a human, had been running.

For centuries, she had somewhat dealt with running, she had become to ignore it. Though sometimes it popped up, especially when she was around Elena, because she never had to run, she had people around her who would willingly die for her. Apart from Damon, that was why she despised her. But what she had been most jealous about was the fact that Elena had lived, she went to high school, she had friends and she got to live the life that Katherine hadn't and that's what made the ex vampire hate her even more. Elena's parents had adored her, she had a brother, and even when her parents had died, she still had family, something Katherine had ripped from her. Her heart fell in her stomach when she realized how much she had missed out on, the things that she'd never gotten to experience.

Even though she had tried to fight them, tears glassed over her dark orbs and Damon sensed this.

"Kat? What is it?"

She whispered,"I don't know, that's the problem. It's just...i realized that even though i've been on this Earth for 500 plus years, i've never actually _lived_, y'know? I've neve-_Forget it_, it's nothing. "

Damon knew what she meant because he had figured that out before she did. She'd never lived a human life, she'd never got to experience the good side to it. Katherine had only experienced pain and loss as a human. Now, she didn't know who she was, what her identity was. Katherine had spent years with defensive walls, and she'd lost herself, lost who she truly was. Damon was sure of what she, deep down, wanted. She wanted what she had missed out on. Even though his father made it hard, Damon had led some sort of life before he met her. He'd had a not so bad childhood, he had his rebellious teen years, while she spent hers hiding away from someone who wanted their revenge.

"It's okay, I know what you're saying, I get it."

Embarrassed because of her tears, Katherine buried her face in his chest, angry with herself. He raised her head again and wiped away the wetness from her cheeks, eyes telling her that he understood. She was always the one to hate showing any kind of weak emotion, even when she was young, but Damon encouraged her to let it out. He held her tight against him, free hand rubbing her back in comfort. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair until he heard her breathing even out. His own mind began to wonder as he tried to think of a way to get the smile back on her face. He looked down at her and noticed that she had fallen asleep, and he frowned again, it was barely the afternoon.

_...guess she was telling the truth about being tired._

Making sure that she was in a deep sleep, Damon slowly pulled away from her, using the remote to switch off the television before he covered her with the sheets. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead, a slow smile appearing on his face when she unknowingly moved closer to him. He stayed still for a few seconds and watched her, his eyes closing as he got into her head. She needed to rest, and there was no way he was allowing her to have a nightmare now that he knew how she was feeling. When he opened them, the upset expression on her face was now one of peace.

He then got off of the bed while she hugged the pillow he had been using. He put his shoes back on and trailed over to the door, turning off the lights on his way before he left the bedroom. Damon stepped down the stairs, and picked up his leather jacket that was draped over the couch along with his car keys. He took one last moment to listen out for her steady heartbeat before he walked out of the boarding house. Getting into his car, Damon pulled out onto the road, switching on the radio.

He really hoped that the idea he had would work out, he didn't know what he would do if he failed his mission. Katherine wanted memories, she wanted to experience what she never had the chance to and he was going to give her that. He stopped when he reached his destination and Damon got out of his car then walked around it, smiling at a few familiar faces who were walking down the street. He looked up at the sign of the shop he was about to enter, quietly praying that they had what he wanted. After letting out a long sigh, Damon placed his hand on the handle and entered the dress shop.

The woman at the counter looked up, a blush appearing on her cheeks when she saw Damon,"C-Can I help you?"

He observed the small shop, eyeing each dress his gaze landed on. Leaning against the counter, Damon sent her his most charming smile.

"I'm looking to purchase a dress for someone special."

* * *

**That Night**

Katherine's brown eyes slowly opened and she turned around, expecting to see Damon still sleeping next to her like she did whenever she woke up. Instead, the space next to her was bare, and by the looks of it, it hadn't been slept in. Katherine frowned, he had been there when she had fallen asleep, she was sure of that. She sat up against the headboard and glanced at the clock across the room which told her that she'd been asleep for almost six hours. Katherine did feel fresh, as if some of the weight on her shoulders had been lifted.

She listened out for any movement in the room, guessing that he had gone for a shower, but she heard nothing. She didn't smell any food like she normally did whenever he woke up earlier than she did. Ideas left her head, and Katherine checked her phone for any calls or messages.

"Where has he gone?" She muttered to herself.

When she moved to go look for him, Katherine's eyes landed on his mirror that was across from the bed. A long dress was hanging from it, and heels were placed neatly next to it. She frowned and stood up, trailing over to mirror, and as she did, she noticed that there was a note stuck next to the dress. Turning on the light, Katherine took a closer look. Her name was neatly written on the folded piece of paper and she grabbed it, opening it up. As she did, she let her eyes trail over the dress, it was beautiful and in her size. The dress was a black sequin decorated bodice long strapless sweetheart-like dress, and the sequins sparkled in the light of the room. Katherine looked out the window, it was almost sundown.

Katherine's eyes skimmed over the note,"What's he up to?"

_Hope you slept well, lazybones. _

_I also hope that you like the dress and heels, I remembered your size. I know you don't feel like going out, but do it for me? I'll make sure you won't regret it. If you decide to come out, put them on and meet me at the high school. Don't worry, you're not going to math class, I have something much better waiting for you, apart from me, of course._

_Love, Damon._

Unable to help it, she smiled, placed the note on the bed before she carefully took the dress off of the mirror, picked up the shoes and made her way into the bathroom. She hung it on the door and put the shoes on the ground then she undressed and turned on the shower faucet. Taking a quick look at the clock, Katherine stepped into the shower, sure that she had time to do her hair too, before she had to leave. She had no idea when he put the note and clothes in the room, so Katherine decided that she would be as quick as possible. Her eyes closed contently as the hot water met her skin, taking the tension away from her almost instantly, and when she opened them again, her eyes settled on her favorite shampoo, which hadn't been there before.

_How did he know which brand I like?_

Katherine's laugh echoed throughout the small space when she realized that Damon had bought her shampoo, too. Thing was, she didn't know how he managed to figure out her favorite brand. He was still the sweet Damon she remembered, no matter how much he tried to hide it. Katherine laced her fingers through her hair, massaging the shampoo into her scalp before the water washed it away. As she poured body lotion into her hand, she let her mind wander, trying to figure out what Damon had planned. From what she knew, there wasn't anything special going on in the school at that time. Ten minutes passed, and she got out of the shower, wrapping her towel around herself.

Even though she didn't feel like going out, Damon had asked her go for him and she didn't want to let him down. After wiping away the steam from the mirror, Katherine looked at herself and for the first time in a long while, she saw some sort of light in her eyes. Her fingers combed through her wet hair and she grabbed another towel, a smaller one, before she turned around and walked away. Her curling iron was in her bedroom, along with her hair dryer. She knew that he liked her curls, his fingers were always toying with her thick strands. The curls made her Katherine was what Damon said to her once, though she never understood it. Katherine smiled at the dress, impressed with Damon's choice, and the ex vampire left the room.

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Later**

"He really does have an eye for dresses."

Katherine smoothed out the material as she spun around in a small circle, gazing at the sparkling sequins. Her curls bounced with every move she made, settling neatly when she stopped. The dress fit her perfectly, she couldn't deny that. To pick this dress, Damon had to know her well, what she liked and what she didn't like. It did show how well he knew her, right down to the colors and type of dress. She let out a long breath, and took one more glance at herself before she backed away from the mirror and left the room. Her fingers grasped the dress tightly so that it wouldn't get dusty from the floor as she moved down the stairs, heels making a sound with each step she took. As she neared the front door, she suddenly wondered how she would get to the high school since Damon was already there, along with the car. She cursed quietly, and rolled her eyes, angry that she had forgotten.

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the staircase, picking up the phone. As she did, she muttered under her breath.

"No vampire speed, no way to get there."

Before she could punch in the number to call Damon, there was a sharp knock at the door. Her eyes narrowed, but, keeping the dress above the floor with one hand, Katherine opened the door. In front of her stood a smartly dressed man, greeting her with a business like smile. She returned it, arching an eyebrow, confused as to why he was there. Looking behind him, she saw a black town car, and chuckled. Damon really did think of everything, down to the last detail.

"Are you Katherine, ma'am?"

She nodded,"Yes."

"I'm James. I have been hired and instructed to take you to Mystic Falls High."

By the way he was talking, she was sure that he had been compelled. He motioned for her to walk to the town car and she did but before she could reach the door, he leaned forward and opened it politely for her. Katherine thanked him and got into the car, making sure that her dress wasn't going to get trapped. Once she was settled, James shut the door and walked around the car to the drivers side. He got in and fastened on his seat belt before he pulled out onto the road. Katherine observed the car, she was impressed again, especially because she knew that Damon was doing everything in his power to cheer her up. She loved him for it, especially because she hadn't done anything to deserve it. That was when she realized how lucky she was to have him.

When she leaned back against the comfy leather seat, another note that was on the seat next to her with her name on the front caught her eye. She opened it up and read the second note.

_Kat._

_If you're reading this, you've done something for __me__, and__ it means more to me than you think. You must be itching to know what I have planned for you but good things come to those who wait. _

_I should know...i have you._

_Love, Damon._

Katherine smiled widely and she put it back where she found it, hoping that they took the town car back to the boarding house so she could keep the note. He had been right, she had done it for him, as soon as she saw the first note, when he had asked her to go for him, her decision had been made. She looked out the window as they pulled up in front of the high school. She let her eyes move over the building, hoping for some sort of sign as to what was going on, but always one step ahead of her, Damon had made sure that wouldn't happen. The door was opened, and she held out her hand as James helped her out.

"Here we are, ma'am. Mr Salvatore wanted me to tell you to join him in the dance hall."

She said at him,"Thank you, James."

"No problem, ma'am"

He nodded and gestured for her to walk up to the school door, which were already being held open by two other compelled people. As she began to leave, he went back into the car, he'd been compelled to stay in it until Damon and Katherine were ready to leave. Keeping the bottom of her dress off of the ground, Katherine made her way up to the door, and walked through it. When she entered the building, she saw that there was a red carpet, leading to the dance hall. Katherine couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her, Damon could be thoughtful when he wanted to be. Katherine perked up when she heard music coming from the hall she was nearing. The red carpet stopped at the entrance of the hall, and, reaching out, Katherine opened the swinging doors.

"Wha-_Oh_."

Her eyes widened as they observed the large space. The room was dark apart from string lights that covered the walls, some wrapped around the pillars that were in the room also. They were all brightly colored and bounced off of her sequins, making her glow slightly. Hanging lights came from the ceiling, an inch off the floor, they were light purple. Katherine walked further into the room, looking like she hadn't seen anything so amazing. She reached out and ran her fingers through them, fascinated. Slow music came from the speakers that were hidden, and when she looked up, she noticed that a band was settled on the small stage. They were also compelled, not allowed to make a sound until they were signaled by Damon.

A champagne tower was on a table across the room, along with some of her favorite alcohol. Katherine smiled when there was a choice of her favorite fruit, and just as she was about to make her way over to them, a strong arm snaked around her waist and wrenched her close to their body. Katherine let out a gasp, then she smiled before she spun around in his arms. She let her eyes roam over him, he was wearing a black suit, and Katherine fought the urge to stare.

"You came."

"You asked me to." Katherine tugged at his tie,"Don't you brush up well?"

"I'm always dashing, even in my formal clothing."He backed off a step and looked her over, beaming at her,"You are beautiful, I have excellent taste."

She laughed and looked on as Damon clicked his fingers. The music from the speakers stopped and the band began to play. Damon held out his hand, and Katherine gladly took it, then he pulled her onto the dance floor. Their right hands intertwined while his free hand held onto her waist. Katherine's hand draped over his shoulder and then they began to slowly move to the band. Damon grinned at her, feeling happiness inside of him when he saw how much she had changed since earlier that day. He knew that this was a memory that she wouldn't forget, one of her happy ones. His forehead fell against hers as they moved around the room, his eyes never leaving Katherine's brown orbs.

He saw that she hadn't stopped smiling and Damon was sure that he hadn't failed this one.

"So I take it that you like it?"

Katherine nodded,"It's amazing. But why?"

Damon dipped her before he pulled her up, kissing her quickly. Katherine kept quiet, once again, impressed by his dancing skills.

"You said that you never got to live the life you wanted as a human. You never had a prom, and a lot of other things." Damon gestured to the room,"I started with the first thing on your list...a prom."

"Y-You're giving me a prom?"

"Yes. I'm making memories for you. We're going to do everything on your list, everything you missed out on, everything you never got to experience."

Katherine's eyes widened again,"There isn't anyone else here for it to be a prom."

"I don't care about anyone else. There's no competition."

He reached into his suit and pulled out a triple red rose corsage. He grasped her arm and slipped it onto her wrist. Katherine watched in shock and he captured her lips again, kissing away the bewilderment. He kissed her with so much tenderness that it almost made her knees wobble. When he broke the kiss, Katherine saw to young teenagers walking up to them, one of them carrying a flower bouquet and the other holding onto something else she couldn't make out because he disappeared behind her. Damon took the flowers from the young boy and shooed him off before he passed them to Katherine.

"W-What is this?"

He slapped the hands of the boy carrying the prom crown, and placed it on top of Katherine's head, making sure that it didn't mess up her hair,"You're prom queen. If they had them back in your day, you would have won without a problem. I'm your king, of course."

Katherine smirked up at him, "Where's your crown?"

He sent her a challenging stare before he clicked his fingers again and in came another teenager, carrying another crown. Damon took it from his hands and placed it on top of his own head. Katherine smiled once more before the two accepted glasses of champagne from another compelled teen, sipping on their drinks as Katherine took another moment to look around the room. She couldn't really remember the last time she had been so happy. Never in a million years did she think that anyone would go to such lengths to make her smile. She wondered what Damon had planned next, and hoped to the powers above that nothing would wreck the bubble of happiness they were in. Damon pulled her close again before he kissed her softly once more, the ex vampire failing to see one of the teenagers taking their photo, another one of Damon's orders. After someone took their now empty glasses, Damon began to spin Katherine around the room, enchanted by her smile.

"Never have I seen a more handsome king."

Damon finished off his drink and he winked at her,"You make a gorgeous queen. My queen."

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**Please review. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes.**


	8. Sneak Attack

**A/N _Thanks for all the reviews, please keep them coming, they make my day. They also encourage me to write more chapters._**

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"_...i really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love."_

**- Elena Gilbert on Damon Salvatore**

**x**

**Three Days Later**

"**How much stuff does one girl need?"**

Damon mumbled to himself in a frustrated groan, checking Katherine's list once more before he strolled into a different aisle of the shop. Her perfect neat handwriting made him roll his eyes before he searched for the second last thing on the list. He went shopping every three days to stock up on human food, which he did enjoy, but the human Katherine Pierce was a big eater, something that didn't shock him at all which meant that he had to spend longer in each aisle. She especially enjoyed chocolate, and it had to be a certain brand, if it wasn't the kind she liked, she would make him go back and get the one she wanted. Even though she was much weaker than him now, she could still nag him to no end.

"What a picture,"He muttered,"Damon Salvatore, big, bad _hottie _vampire, shopping for make up. Alert the media."

He'd spent over ten minutes in the make up aisle, which almost made his head explode and eventually he had to ask one of the staff to help him out. He couldn't understand how much things she needed, he thought she looked perfect even without her make up, but he never dared to talk to her about it, it would just cause him an hour long lecture. Smiling to himself when he got to the bottom of the list, Damon dumped the things into the basket he was carrying. He then looked at the list again, at the last item written at the bottom and he smirked to himself when he read what Katherine had wrote.

_Bourbon. (Lots of it. I cleared out your secret stash that was in your underwear drawer.)_

Shaking his head, Damon trailed over to the till and set the basket on top of the counter. He watched as a young man started to fill shopping bags with his things, and another teenager adding it up on the till. They were around Matt's age, but looked as if they had no life outside their work and no girlfriends. Chuckling, Damon leaned against the counter and toyed with his ring while he waited. He had left Katherine alone in the house, which never meant anything good. Since she couldn't leave the boarding house with him, she was stuck inside with only the TV to watch and no alcohol.

The two had spent the last few days inside, while Damon had been secretly planning another event that Katherine hadn't had. It was difficult to keep it to himself, she could always tell whenever he was keeping something to himself. He had to keep quiet and wait a few weeks before he revealed his surprise because that way, she wouldn't be expecting it. The older teen nodded to him and left, the shopping bags full and ready for Damon to take.

The younger one raised his head before he spoke in a polite but still shaky tone,"T-That'll be $56.85, please."

Damon grabbed the bags and met his eyes before he spoke softly, using his compulsion,"No, it won't, you'll forget this. Have a nice day,"He looked at his name tag,"Leo."

"You too, sir. Come again!"

Offering the young man a smile, Damon left the shop, hoping that Katherine hadn't gotten too bored. He took a left turn down the street and entered the liquor store, ready to stock up on their much needed Bourbon.

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**Same Time – Boarding House**

"Really? Over one hundred channels and nothing to watch?"

Katherine switched off the TV and got off of the large bed, letting out a bored yawn as she made her way out of the bedroom. She trailed down the stairs, looking at the clock on her way, noticing that Damon had been gone for almost an hour. She couldn't believe it, it was a large boarding house and there was nothing to do but sit and watch television. She couldn't go out by herself just in case one of her enemies was after her, which meant that she was left by herself until Damon came home. Tying up her long hair in a loose bun, she slowed her pace, taking time to look around the house for the first time, which only made her realize how bored she actually was. Strolling down another hallway, Katherine entered the kitchen, frowning when she didn't smell something being cooked like she normally did whenever she came down the stairs.

Damon was always greeting her with something new to taste or even attempting to teach her, which had only happened once, he refused after she almost set the kitchen on fire. As she went to go make a hot beverage, her eyes caught sight of fresh strawberries on the counter, and a smile broke out on her face, knowing that it was the work of Damon. She picked up one and sat on the stool, deciding to pass some time by reading the paper. She didn't know why it was there, she had never seen Damon read it, but quickly shook it off. As she munched on her strawberry, she was sure that a gust of wind hit her. Katherine's head snapped up, eyes narrowing, but since she didn't have her vampire hearing or senses, nothing out of the ordinary caught her attention. She shook it off and got back to reading.

"_'Deadly Beast Captured: Mystic Falls Safe Again.'_" She read to herself then laughed,"Damon's work."

Damon had been the only vampire Katherine turned that she had taught how to feed and how to keep control of those urges. She remembered him being freaked out the first time she had taken him out on one of her hunts, how hesitant he'd been but after the fear left him, it was as if he'd been doing if for a long while. He was confident in playing his part, standing in the shadows, taking in how to play the victim, how to lure them into their web. Her thoughts were broken into when she heard a door slam, then another rush of wind hit her. Her eyes widened, sure that there was something in the house, but wasn't positive if it was bad or if Damon was playing with her. She got off of the stool and began to slowly walk down the hallway.

Trying to hide her shaky tone, she called out,"Damon? You back?"

No response.

She was sure that it wasn't Damon after he didn't answer her the first time. He would have noticed her shaky voice and let himself be seen. Katherine let out a long breath, she wasn't safe from vampires ever since Elena died after owning the house. Katherine's nails dug into the palm of her hand, cursing herself for being somewhat scared, something she hadn't felt in a long time. She chewed on her lower lip, praying to anyone who would listen, hoping that Damon would walk through the doors and make everything right again. She frowned, suddenly realizing that she was acting as if she were weak, something that Damon had told her countless of times over the last few months that she wasn't. He had told her time and time again that she was anything but weak.

She cleared her throat and straightened herself, now taking larger steps which led her into the front room. She raised her head, dark eyes observing around her, trying to see whatever was in the house. Katherine crossed her arms over her chest, trying to seem less scared than she actually was. Her voice then dropped to a seductive but yet confident purr, her signature move.

"Look, whatever the hell you are, if you're going to kill me, do it already. I'm not playing hide and seek. You're boring me."

She heard feet hit the wooden floor before it disappeared, a clear attempt to scare her but she chuckled,"Seriously? You must be young. You're messing with an ex vampire who is now _human_, yes, but much older than you...and I bet, much prettier. Kill me and I promise you, i'll haunt your ass for all eternity."

All of a sudden, she was lifted off of the floor and thrown onto the coffee table behind her. The force of the throw caused it to smash underneath her. She groaned painfully, her vision going blurry for a moment. But before she could move, she was grabbed again and tossed out of the front room, landing near the front door. Now on her stomach, Katherine swore in Bulgarian, something she only did whenever she was really mad. Feet made their way towards her, the person standing over her now. Katherine flipped onto her back, blowing strands of her hair out of her view before her eyes landed on her attacker. The neat bun she had tied her hair in was now undone, her curls in a mess.

Her doppelgänger stood above her, glaring down at her,"Elena? Kicking a woman while she is down...real classy."

"What can I say? I learned from the best."

"How did you know I was alone? Are you stalking me now? That's creepy."

Elena growled and bent down, picking her up with force. Katherine cried out when she was slammed back against the wall across from the door. Like her last attack, Elena's fingers locked tight around her neck, lifting her into the air. Her feet kicked underneath her, unable to breathe. She felt like someone was sucking the air out of her, but unlike last time, she didn't cry, she wasn't calling out for help. There was nobody to help her, no matter how much she wanted it. She refused to let Elena know how much pain she was in.

"You really think i'm going to stand back and watch you rip his heart out for the hundredth time? He's still reeling from me not choosing him and you took advantage of that! He doesn't love you, Katherine, not anymore. He's using you to get to me!"

This was what got to her, this was what triggered the anger in her. Katherine, with the small amount of strength she had, kicked Elena in the abdomen roughly, making sure her heel dug into her harshly. Shocked, Elena moaned in pain, and Katherine used this distraction to her advantage. She pushed Elena off of her, touching her neck, hoping that there were no bruises. Elena fell back against the door, quickly balancing herself. She thanked the powers above that the vampire was still young and that she still knew some tricks that Damon had taught the doppelgänger. Katherine took a step towards her, she didn't feel scared any-more, she felt stronger, as if something had given her the strength to fight back.

Elena snarled at her, speeding over to her, but already knowing that she was going to do that, Katherine stepped aside quickly. Elena was still new at being a vampire, and she held no surprises. Her face fell when she remembered the comment Elena had made a few minutes before and she couldn't get it out of her mind. Elena growled at her, but it didn't stop Katherine from walking over to her, swallowing thickly.

"I take full responsibility for what I did to him and there isn't a day that I don't hate regret it. There isn't a second that I don't remind myself of that, because I can see it in his eyes. I can feel it every-time he holds me, like i'm gonna disappear and I know that it's my fault. But every day he wakes up to me I know that he trusts me a little bit more, and i'd rather you kill me right now than walk away from him. I know that i've hurt him, believe me, I know."

The ex vampire pushed her emotions away, her voice raising slightly as she pointed at Elena,"But what about all the times you crushed him, huh? Don't you think that you're being a hypocrite standing there as if you're some sort of damn _saint_? You don't have any right to stand there and judge me."

Katherine felt the hate behind the shove as she stumbled after Elena pushed her away from her,"SHUT UP! I'm _nothing_ like you."

Elena's fangs came forward and she backhanded Katherine across the face, making her fall to the floor. She jumped on top of her, hands wrapping around her throat. She couldn't see straight, she had been waiting for Katherine to be alone, to make make her go away so that she could make Damon see how evil the ex vampire was. She didn't know what was wrong with him, how he could forgive her so easily. Katherine paled as she tightened her hold on her. Her nails stabbed into Elena's hand as she tried to push her off, but it was no use, the girl was stronger.

"You were right, you are nothing like me, Elena." Katherine choked out, using everything she had to keep the fear out of her voice as Elena continued to strangle her,"You're _less_."

The young vampire screamed angrily and Katherine felt herself begin to drift away. But just before she blacked out, the hold around her neck was gone. Then the weight of Elena's body on top of her disappeared. Katherine, holding her hand to her throat, began to cough again, sucking much needed air back into her lungs. As her vision began to clear, she heard the sound of Elena's body being thrown away from her. She lay on the floor, unable to stand up, feeling as if her whole body was too heavy. Katherine just stared at the ceiling as the sound of heavy footsteps came over to her.

Standing over her was Damon, blue eyes filled with worry and he knelt beside her. He placed the bags on the couch, kicking pieces of the coffee table out of his way. His fingers brushed the hair from her face, and the touch made the knotted feeling her stomach disappear. He smiled at her, double checking over her to make sure that she wasn't badly hurt. His gaze trailed over her body, concerned at the blood smeared on her arm. He ran his finger along the bruises, sure that they were going to annoy her later on and that he was going to have to bandage her up.

"You okay? I can't leave you alone for a few hours, can I?"

Katherine nodded, returning his smile,"Few cuts and bruises but i'll live. We seriously need to change the locks."

"I've heard of witches that can de-invite a vampire. Not sure if it's true, but i'll look into it."

"You couldn't have mentioned that before? Now, my hair is getting messed up, give me a hand."

He chuckled and helped her up gently, holding her against him. Katherine looked over at Elena, who was against the wall, groaning in pain. The angry expression returned on Damon's face and he kissed her temple before stalking over to the younger vampire. Wincing in pain, Katherine stumbled to the stairs, leaning against the staircase, as Elena slowly raised her head. She opened her mouth to speak to Damon but before she could, his hand shot out. She could tell how angry he was, the tension in his shoulders, his teeth ground together and he looked as if he wanted to rip her apart.

"D-Damon. Stop...you're _hurting_ me!" Elena pleaded, fingers locking around his arm.

"Really? Good, that was my goal."

He pulled her away from the wall then slammed her back against it, creating a large hole. Elena cried out, howling in pain when her head thumped against the hard wood. Katherine gasped when her eyes landed on his hand because his nails were breaking the skin on her neck, causing blood to pour out. Elena's eyes widened, gasping when he let her go, and she collapsed on the floor. He stepped over her, tilting his head, seeing the relief settle back on her face as she thought it was over.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet. You need to be taught a lesson, little girl. For once in your life, you need to suffer the consequences."

Elena shuffled away from him, shaking her head,"Damon, _please_. No. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry!"

Katherine kept quiet, she knew how pissed he was. He followed Elena as she tried to crawl away from him, she had lost the feeling in her body, and was looking at him as if he were death itself. His blue eyes had darkened. An angry Damon was someone not to be messed with, especially if you harm those he dearly loved. Elena whimpered again before Damon leaned down and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. Holding her in one hand, he used his free one to punch her in the chest. Katherine gaped for a second time as Damon curled his fingers around Elena's heart in his hands. Tears spilled from her eyes as she quietly cried, streaming down her cheeks.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

He glanced up at her, seeming as if she were something evil. He seemed disgusted at the sight of the younger vampire. Katherine watched, unable to look away as Elena begged for her life. Never had Katherine thought that Damon would be willing to kill the doppelgänger for her, to hurt Elena for harming Katherine. She hissed as her fingers touched the cut on her arm, and at this Damon's head snapped around, eyes roaming her, silently asking her if she was okay. After Katherine soothed his fears, he turned to Elena, the soft expression on his face turning to one of hatred.

"This is your last warning, Elena. Leave her _alone_. Got it?"

She wildly nodded then slowly but carefully, he let go of her heart and opened the front door before threw her out as if she were rubbish. Elena landed on the ground outside of the boarding house and she clutched her chest, sighing in relief when the wound healed. Her eyes met Damon's, who was now wiping his hand with a cloth that Katherine had taken through for him. He sent her one last dirty look before kicking the door shut, leaving her all alone. He took off his jacket and tossed it onto the chair, quickly walking over to Katherine, who was holding her bleeding wound. He sat next to her, cradling her arm in his grasp before taking a closer look at it.

"How you doing, Kat?"

"Fine apart from that damn coffee table. The wood got me, I guess." She mumbled, biting her lip as the wound stung again.

"Want some of my blood or a bandage?"

Katherine sent him a look,"Blood. She gave me _bruises_, Damon and ruined my favorite top."

"You're still the most pretty, ex-vampire turned human in the room."

She smiled softly at him,"Who bruises so easily. C'mon, heal me!"

He rolled his eyes and looked at the dark marks on her neck, not understanding what she was so upset about. He could understand about the wound, that was bleeding, but she seemed more concerned about the bruises, as if they tainted her in some sort of way. His finger tips ran over the marks before he kissed each bruise gently. He then kissed her wound, licking the blood off of his lips before he pierced his wrist with his fangs. He held the wrist in front of her and Katherine brought it to her mouth, and took a few sips. Each drop she took made her feel better and soon the wounds and bruises began to heal and fade.

"That's it. You'll feel better in a few seconds."

She pulled away a few moments later, and Damon used his thumb to wipe the blood away from her lips. He checked over her until he was satisfied that she was completely healed before letting his fingers comb through her tangled hair. Katherine's eyes shut contently as he smoothed out her hair, the long strands flowing down her back when he was finished. He grasped her chin in his fingers and planted a tender kiss on her mouth, then her cheek before he met her gaze.

"See? No bruises, all gone."

Copying him, she rolled her eyes,"My Savior."

Damon stood up and so did she but stumbled slightly, feeling a little dizzy after the blood. He hooked his arm under her legs and lifted her into his arms. Katherine got comfy, nuzzling her cheek against his chest as he began to move up the stairs. When he was half way up them, Katherine's head snapped up.

"Did you get what I wanted?"

He sighed, then used his speed to get down stairs and grab the bags,"Yup but no alcohol till you're better, Kat. Now let's get you in bed, you need rest, you can have your chocolate, though."

She kissed his jawline before slumping against him as he entered their bedroom. He pushed the door closed behind them, turning off the light on their way. Katherine moaned as he placed her on the bed carefully, moving away for her so that he could shut the curtains. Darkness surrounded them, and the two finally felt at peace because it was just them, there was nobody trying to intrude on their time, there was no trouble or complications. He tugged off her heels for her and covered her with the blankets before he kicked off his own shoes. Damon then got into the bed next to her, wrenching her close to him and she opened her eyes.

"Damon? I want my chocolate, I want to sulk, I want to watch my crappy shows and I want to bitch...like a normal human girl."

He laughed,"No, you need to sleep. Also, Kat, you always bitch, that's one thing you never fail to do."

"But you love me anyway."

Damon kissed her once more,"Yes, I do."

"I love you, too."

He smiled to himself, burying his face in the crook of her neck. It was hard for him to explain how much it meant to him to hear those words. The last time she told him she loved him was the last night he was with her in 1864. Now, she made sure to tell him every morning when they woke up and every night before they slept. Katherine turned around in his arms, now facing him. Her arms locked around him, keeping him close to her, feeling safe for the first time that day. Damon pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she settled down. One of her hands kept a hold of his hand, their fingers tangling together, fitting perfectly. Her head rested on his chest as he whispered sweet nothings to her, lulling her to sleep and a few minutes later, he followed her into a much needed slumber.

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**Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. Please review.**


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